What the space decides · The Structure
On Grade or Suspended
Whether the floor is a slab on grade or a suspended structure is the single most important fact about a gym space.
Before you sign. Tell us the programming and we will tell you whether the space can carry it.
Impact
A dropped weight is a load event, not a static one
Structure
Noise travels through the slab, not around it
Pre-lease
We will look at a space before you sign it
Licensed
General contractor, licensed in the state of Florida
The distinction is not always obvious
A ground floor unit is not necessarily on grade — it may sit above parking, a basement or a service level. That changes the answer completely, and it is a question that gets assumed rather than confirmed because the space looks like a ground floor.
What to establish
- Whether the slab is genuinely on grade.
- What is directly below, if it is not.
- The structural capacity, assessed for impact not just static load.
- Whether an engineer has actually looked, rather than a drawing.
- What the landlord will permit in terms of anchoring.
How we handle it
- 01Confirm slab type before anything else.
- 02Have impact loading assessed by an engineer where suspended.
- 03Locate heavy zones on grade wherever possible.
- 04Build isolated platforms where the structure requires it.
Confirm the slab is genuinely on grade rather than assuming it from being on the ground floor. Parking, basements and service levels below a ground floor unit are common, and the distinction decides what the space can carry.
Said plainly
Where we stop
We will not proceed with a heavy free weight program on a suspended slab without an engineer's assessment. A drawing's stated design load is not an assessment of impact.
FAQ
Common questions
- Is a ground floor unit always on grade?
- No. Parking, basements and service levels below are common.
- Is the design load figure enough?
- It is static. A dropped weight is an impact event.
- Who assesses it?
- A structural engineer, not a contractor reading a drawing.
- What if it is suspended?
- Isolated platforms, restricted programming, or a different space.
What we build
Free Weights & Platforms
Platforms, racks and heavy free weights. The zone that determines whether a space can be a gym at all.
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Cardio & Machines
The largest floor area and the least structurally demanding, with its own power and cooling requirements.
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Studios
Group fitness, cycling and yoga studios. Each has a different sound problem and a different floor requirement.
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Functional & Turf
Turf lanes, rigs, sleds and open training space. The zone most constrained by ceiling height.
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Locker Rooms & Recovery
Showers, lockers, saunas and recovery. A small share of the area and a large share of whether members stay.
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Reception & Retail
Entry, front desk, retail and the transition into the floor. Where prospects decide and members arrive.
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More what the space decides
The Neighbors
Gyms are asked to leave buildings over noise. Who occupies the surrounding space is a pre-lease question, not an operational one.
Read more →
Mechanical Capacity
The base building mechanical was almost certainly sized for a different use, and a gym imposes far more load.
Read more →
The Lease
The work letter describes what the landlord provides, and that description is where most gym budget surprises originate.
Read more →
Next step
Find out what is actually wrong with it.
An inspection, photographs of what we found, and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, that is the answer you will get.